lingering in the water were deposited to the seafloor. The ability of a sinking diatom bloom to scavenge dispersed oil compounds from the water column and deposit them to depth is a robust result of the model over a range of parameter variations. These results suggest that a model that combines satellite data on phytoplankton blooms with water column dispersed oil concentrations to estimate potential oil compound deposistion rates may be able to provide decision makers with guidance during an oil spill. However, additional, independent validation of the model is necessary before it can be adapted for use in an operational setting.

Franklin, H.M., Carroll, A.R., Chen, C., Maxwell, P., Burford, M.A., 2020. Plant source and soil interact to determine characteristics of dissolved organic matter leached into waterways from riparian leaf litter. Science of The Total Environment 703, 134530.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969719345218 Wetting of leaf litter accumulated in riparian zones during rainfall events provides pulses of dissolved organic matter (DOM) to rivers. Restoring riparian vegetation aims to reduce sediment and nutrient transport into rivers, however DOM from leaf litter can stimulate phytoplankton growth and interfere with water treatment processes. Improved understanding of the loads and chemical composition of DOM leached from leaf litter of different plant species, and how subsequent leaching through soils affects DOM retention or transformation, is needed to predict the outcomes of riparian revegetation. To investigate this, we simulated rapid leaching of rainfall through the leaf litter of two riparian tree species with and without subsequent leaching through soil, comparing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and nitrogen (DON) loads, and DOM chemical composition (via spectroscopic and novel NMR-fingerprinting techniques). Plant source affected the load and composition of DOM leaching, Eucalyptus tereticornis Casuarina cunninghamiana. E. tereticornis with leaching more DOC than Additionally, DOM had a higher sugar, myo-inositol, benzoic acid, flavonoid and oxygenated aromatic content. More than 90% of leaf litter DOM was retained in the soil under simulated repeated heavy rainfall. The DOM chemistry of E. these species determined the total loads and changes in DOM composition leaching through soil. Less tereticornis C. cunninghamiana DOM was retained by the soil than DOM, with sugars, myo-inositol and amino E. acids being poorly retained compared to fatty acids and aromatic compounds. It also appears that DOM from tereticornis litter primed the soil, resulting in more DON being leached compared with bare soil. In comparison, C. cunninghamiana litter resulted in greater retention of DON, oxygenated aromatic compounds and the amino acid tryptophan. This study provides new information on how a range of DOM sources and transformations affect the DOM ultimately leached into waterways, key to developing improved models of DOM transformations in catchments.

French, D.E., Trexler Jr., J.H., Cashman, P.H., Walker, J.P., Wylie Jr., A.S., 2020. Mississippian mud rocks of the eastern Great Basin: Stratigraphy, tectonic significance, and hydrocarbon potential. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 104, 387-410.

http://archives.datapages.com/data/bulletns/2020/02feb/BLTN18190/bltn18190.html A thick succession of Mississippian mud rocks in the eastern Great Basin has historically been identified as the Chainman Shale and interpreted as a foreland basin deposit associated with the Antler orogeny. Our work shows that this section is two distinct mud-rock units separated by a Late Mississippian unconformity. The Gap Wash Formation is identified as the mud rock below the unconformity, and Chainman Shale is restricted to mud rock above the unconformity. Poor exposure, sparse age control, and limited lithologic contrast have hampered identification and correlation of the mud-rock units. New research identifies subtle differences in rock type, and mineralogical and source-rock analyses show that the two formations have contrasting characteristics. These are associated with petrophysical properties that can be correlated across the region. The data show that the Gap Wash Formation has significantly more organic carbon and better pyrolysis results than the Chainman Shale. The Gap Wash also has mineralogy that could make it more suitable for treatment as a shale reservoir. The new understanding of Mississippian mud rocks in the Great Basin can focus future hydrocarbon exploration. The mud-rock units record regional Mississippian paleogeographic evolution. The Gap Wash Formation was deposited into accommodation space created by the loading of the continental margin during the Antler orogeny. The Chainman Shale was deposited in a successor basin that formed in response to resumed